Trade Partner Risk Manager

Responsibilities

• Evaluate, mitigate, and monitor trade partner risk across expanding Texas footprint.
• Partner with Preconstruction, Operations, and the firm’s surety and insurance partners to protect project outcomes, client commitments, and the firm's balance sheet.
• Perform financial analysis and risk assessments to evaluate subcontractor financial health and default risk.
• Review and adjudicate trade partner prequalifications that exceed established guidelines, including single-job and aggregate exposure limits, financial thresholds, safety metrics, and qualitative risk factors.
• Design tailored mitigation plans calibrated to each trade partner's risk profile, including joint check agreements, funds control, Subcontractor Default Insurance enrollment, payment and performance bonds, parent guarantees, enhanced retention, billing caps, and dual-obligee requirements.
• Ensure mitigation provisions are incorporated into subcontract exhibits and clearly communicated to project teams.
• Establish and maintain a structured monitoring cadence with Operations leadership for flagged trade partners, track leading indicators of distress, and define an escalation protocol to the VP of Risk, CFO, and Regional leadership.
• Own the firm's prequalification platform, scoring methodology, and associated policies, recalibrating guideline thresholds annually based on actual loss data, near-miss experience, and market conditions.
• Deliver training to Project Managers, Superintendents, and Project Accountants on early warning signs and escalation pathways.
• Develop and implement strategies to reduce and mitigate trade partner risk through effective communication, training, and education.
• Collaborate with the firm's surety partners, SDI carrier, and insurance broker to ensure that trade partner risk is properly assessed, mitigated, and monitored.
• Promote open communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing with trade partners, subcontractors, and suppliers.

Requirements

• CPA, CCIFP, AFSB, or CFSP designation or relevant experience in construction risk, surety underwriting, Subcontractor Default Insurance, construction banking or credit, forensic accounting, or general contractor-side trade partner risk management.
• Strong working knowledge of subcontract risk mitigation tools and Texas construction law fundamentals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deliver difficult messages with credibility.
• A high degree of intellectual honesty and documentation discipline.
• A builder’s mindset that treats Operations as a partner rather than a gatekeeper.
• Strong judgment with the ability to exercise discretion where checklists are insufficient.
• Experience with prequalification platforms such as TradeTapp, Highwire, Compass, or Building Connected.
• Exposure to Texas subcontractor market dynamics across multiple regions.

Qualifications

• Financial analysis and risk assessment skills to evaluate subcontractor financial health and default risk.
• Strong working knowledge of subcontract risk mitigation tools and Texas construction law fundamentals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deliver difficult messages with credibility.
• A high degree of intellectual honesty and documentation discipline.
• A builder’s mindset that treats Operations as a partner rather than a gatekeeper.
• Strong judgment with the ability to exercise discretion where checklists are insufficient.
• Experience with prequalification platforms such as TradeTapp, Highwire, Compass, or Building Connected.
• Exposure to Texas subcontractor market dynamics across multiple regions.